The St. Louis Cardinals are in a confusing position with the July 31 trade deadline inching closer and postseason hopes still intact.
Many doubted the Cardinals’ chances at competing for a playoff spot before the season began but they remain 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and one game out of an NL Wild Card spot.
The Cardinals’ trajectory for the remainder of the season can change significantly before the trade deadline. If they fall out of postseason contention, it’s possible a franchise-altering fire sale could be imminent.
“St. Louis is another club that could alter the outlook of the market, should it decide to sell,” The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney wrote Friday morning. “’The Cardinals can be a linchpin for a lot of teams,’ one executive mused. ‘They have a lot of players teams are interested in.’”
Several players who could be at the top of the Cardinals’ trade list include closing pitcher Ryan Helsley, 10-time Gold Glove defender Nolan Arenado, right-handed pitcher Phil Maton, left-handed pitcher Steven Matz and three-time All-Star Sonny Gray — if he waives his full no-trade clause.
“Once the second half begins, the outlook on most fringe teams will hinge on performance,” Woo and Mooney continued. “Officials believe the final week of the deadline will bring much more clarity to the market and expect a frenzy to occur. Until then, don’t expect much traction. ‘There’s three or four teams that think they’re going to buy,’ one league source said. ‘They’re going to sell. There’s a lot of teams at that margin that are going to flip.’”
There’s plenty of baseball left to play before St. Louis is in a position to decide how they’ll approach this year’s trade deadline. Whether the Cardinals buy or sell this summer, one thing’s for sure — the front office must be active before July 31 or there will be plenty of disgruntled fans to appease.
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